SYRACUSE, N.Y., April 6, 2026 – The Reading League (TRL) has announced 40 educators and literacy leaders to its third cohort of the Educators of Color Conference Community (ECCC).
The ECCC is a transformative nine-month, nomination-only fellowship for educators of color who are advancing literacy, with a specific focus on supporting the needs of culturally and linguistically diverse students. The new cohort includes teachers, school and district leaders, researchers, reading experts, nonprofit founders, and literacy advocates representing 19 states across the U.S and two countries around the world.
The Reading League created the ECCC to increase the number of educators of color attending the annual TRL Conference, ensuring a wide range of perspectives are included in the national conversation about literacy. The initiative strengthens TRL’s mission to advance awareness, understanding, and use of evidence-aligned reading instruction.
During the fellowship, cohort members will engage with TRL leadership through a series of professional learning experiences and collaborative discussions focused on literacy leadership and the science of reading. The community is designed not only to support fellows’ professional growth but also to create space to learn from their experiences, perspectives, and expertise. Their work will culminate in participation at the 10th Annual Conference of The Reading League, taking place September 30–October 2, 2026, in Chicago, where 2,500 educators, researchers, and leaders gather to advance evidence-aligned reading instruction.
The Educators of Color Cohort is supported through a partnership with the Rise Up Foundation and its founder, Alane Adams. We’re also excited that this year’s cohort will also be supported by The Commit Partnership and its Managing Director, Amber Shields, whose work is dedicated to improving early literacy outcomes across Dallas County, Texas. Together, we are investing in educators who are leading meaningful change in literacy instruction and expanding access to high-quality professional learning that strengthens outcomes for students nationwide.
“The Educators of Color Conference Community strengthens our work by ensuring that the science of reading movement reflects and serves the diverse communities in our schools,” said Dr. Maria Murray, president and CEO of The Reading League. “We are honored to welcome this year’s cohort and look forward not only to sharing knowledge, but also to learning from their experience and insights.”
“I’m grateful to be able to convene this robust community of reading experts. Over the next several months, we will learn with and from our members, as we seek to build a supportive community in anticipation of our in-person connections at the annual conference,” said Dr. Altheria Caldera, TRL consultant. “I’m excited about the ways they will add to the diversity of conference attendees and the learning they’ll be able to take back to their work.”
Introducing the 2026 ECCC Cohort
LaTraviate D. Brown, Assistant Principal at Macon County Public Schools
Angela Bruno, District Teaching and Learning Consultant at Omaha Public Schools
Jenelle Bryant, Co-founder & Managing Director at Reading Ready DMV
Briannah Burrell, Director of Reading Language Arts at Carrollton-Farmers Branch ISD
Mercedes Davila, K-2 Interventionist at PS 24
Delorise Davis, 5th Grade Reading Teacher at Clark County School District
Shanitra Deas, Technology Enablement Manager at 95 Percent Group
Ariel Dunson, Special Education Teacher at Futuro Academy Charter School
Xiomara Elvin, Classroom Teacher, 1st grade at Orange County Public Schools
Amber Gilmore, Elementary Reading Coordinator at Cedar Hill Independent School District
Constance Franklin, 2nd Grade Teacher/ STEM teacher at Marysville Joint Unified School District
JaVaughn Hardaway, Literacy Coach at Indianapolis Public Schools
Towanda Harris, Professor/Author/Coordinator at Clark Atlanta University
Ashlee Haynes, Director of Curriculum and Instruction at Mitchell County School System
Loretta Hickman, Education Consultant at L. Hickman Education Consulting
Candace Jackson, Teacher at Victory Christian School
Sha’Tanya Jackson, Elementary Educator (First Grade) at Fairfax County Public Schools
Alicia Johnson, Education Specialist at The Alabama Reading Initiative (ARI)
Danielle Johnson, Director of Assessment at DC Public Schools
Tangenia Jones, Literacy Interventionist at St. Charles Parish
Ambreishia Lewis, Curriculum and Instructional Specialist at Uplift Education
Sean Lindsey, Literacy Consultant at Reading Horizons
Shavon Marion, Special Education IEP Compliance Facilitator at Georgia Cyber Academy
Keshia Megie-Thompson, Reading Science Literacy Specialist/Doctoral Student & Owner/Founder of Trace Literacy at Mount St Joseph University/Trace Literacy
Casandra Mitchell, School Improvement Coordinator at Lancaster ISD
Stephen Mugisha, Executive Director at Umurage Education Foundation
Krystal Nelson, Instructional Coach at Irving ISD
Tiffany M. Nyachae, Assistant Professor of Education and Women’s, Gender, and Sexuality Studies at The Pennsylvania State University
Natasha Perry, Growing Readers Coaching Specialist at MetroRESA
Mary Phillips, K-5 ELA Consultant at NC Department of Public Instruction
Toria Randle, Lead ESL teacher (K-5) at Memphis-Shelby County Schools
Tamika Reece, Senior Learning Partnerships Project Manager at ReadWorks
Alexis Robinson, Account Executive at 95 Percent Group
Walesha Robinson, Academic Coordinator at Lancaster ISD
Joseph Salazar, ESOL Teacher/Instructional Leader at District of Columbia Public Schools
Samantha Shepard, Implementation Manager at 95 Percent Group
Courtney Tate, Education Consultant at Aligned Coaching and Consulting
Kellee Dillard Watkins, Professor at NC A&T State University
Latoya Watts, Executive Director at WattsNatural Tutoring
Kristen Wynn, Head of Institute at AIM Institute for Learning and Research
About The Reading League
Celebrating a decade of impact, The Reading League is a national education nonprofit based in Syracuse, N.Y., advancing evidence-aligned reading instruction through advocacy, professional learning, research, and a growing network of 46 chapters. The Reading League’s work is grounded in the science of reading—decades of research revealing how the brain learns to read and which instructional practices are most effective. The Reading League believes that all children deserve to learn to read, and all teachers can learn to teach them. For more information, please visit thereadingleague.org.
Media Contact: Soledad Calvino, Director of Public Relations, soledad@thereadingleague.org, 315-362-2378
